Bonus Points - A USA Wrestling Podcast | Mat Talk Podcast Network

Bonus Points is the official podcast of USA Wrestling and TheMat.com hosted by Richard Immel. Sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance Play Positive®, Bonus Points offers interviews and insight from USA Wrestling, the National Governing Body for wrestling in the United States and will feature coaches, athletes and notable names from the sport of wrestling. Part of the Mat Talk Podcast Network.

Bender has been an employee of USA Wrestling for 29 years and has served as the organization’s chief executive officer for 14 years, leading USA Wrestling through a period of growth and expanded service.

Topics of discussion include the current state of USA Wrestling, the 2016 Olympic Games, growth of wrestling from the youth levels all the way to the Senior-level and much more.

Already cemented as one of the greatest wrestlers in U.S. history entering the 2016 season, Burroughs found himself with a rare opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games for the second time after winning the U.S. Olympic Team Trials last April.

Burroughs was one of the premier faces for Team USA at the 2016 Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as he attempted to grasp his second Olympic gold medal.

On August 19, 2016 Burroughs competed in the Olympics as a heavy favorite in the men's freestyle 74 kg division. A day he invisioned as his grand statement to the world turned out to be his most difficult day on the wrestling mat.

Burroughs was defeated in the Olympic quarterfinals by eventual silver medalist Aniuar Geduev of Russia, 3-2. He later fell in the repechage round to Bekzod Abdurakhmonov of Uzbekistan, 10-0 and left Rio without a medal.

Despite his Olympic setback, Burroughs has ammased four total World medals, three gold and one bronze, on top of an Olympic gold from 2012. He owns an astounding Senior-level record of 130 wins to only four losses since his debut in 2011.

How does Burroughs view his most recent Olympic outing? What did he do to cope with a rare defeat on the biggest stage in wrestling? Will we see him back on a wrestling mat in the coming year? Burroughs answers all these questions and more on this episode of Bonus Points.

Steveson won men’s freestyle gold for the U.S. at the 2016 Cadet World Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia at 100 kg/220 lbs. He picked up four wins on his run to gold, including a 5-1 decision over Adam Beterbiev of Russia in the gold-medal match.

With the win in Tbilisi, Steveson became just the second U.S. wrestler to win the Cadet World Championships twice. The other occured on the very same day with Yianni Diakomihalis also going back-to-back.

In addition to his two Cadet World wins, Steveson has ammased two Minnesota high school state titles for Apple Valley HS entering his Junior year. He also boasts gold medal finishes at the USAW Cadet Freestyle Nationals and USAW Folkstyle Nationals.

Topics of discussion include his dominant Cadet Worlds performance, the pressures of repeating, how to become a successful wrestler and much more.